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Dr. Lynette Hart, director of UC Davis’ Center for Animals in Society, addressed many key points in a letter of support for a Sacramento dog park initiative: “Dogs especially facilitate friendly interactions among people, as they so actively solicit play and offer greetings … establishing a dog park creates a community center of activity where friends and neighbors gather to relax … users of dog parks are self-policing so as to maintain the appealing environment .… Creating dog parks is a method for more efficiently educating dog owners and facilitating them in assuring excellent behavior with their dogs.”

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Tufts University veterinarian and behaviorist, answering a question about a dog’s need for aerobic exercise, stated,“Walking them on a leash is not sufficient exercise. It is not that they die if they walk on a leash, and it’s not that a human being dies in solitary confinement either. It is just that it is not optimal for their physiological and psychological well-being.” He adds, “It is important for a dog to be provided with natural outlets—to be able to run and exercise and chase things and do as a dog was bred to do.” There is plenty of expert testimony—we hope you will be able to get the vets in your community to write letters as well.

Humane organizations and animal shelters should be willing to endorse your efforts as well. As a nationally respected leader on all issues relating to companion animals, San Francisco’s SPCA has been a staunch proponent of off-leash recreation. This is evidenced by an excerpt from their statement to the Advisory Dogs Off-Leash Task Force: “We feel that because of the growth of our City’s population, in human and canine terms, now is the time to accommodate for the future of our dog-friendly parks … Off-leash recreation is not only an essential part of how many people care for their pets—it is a way to give a little something back to the animals who give us all so much.” The SF/SPCA cares so much about this issue that they have even offered to contribute financially to the development of a state-of-the-art dog park in San Francisco.

Running with a Pack
Again, stressing the power in numbers, you might want to consider the formation of an umbrella group composed of groups with a common vision. Seattle’s COLA has led the way in this manner, and has been recognized as the official sponsoring group, entering into a formal agreement with the city to perform various stewardship functions in their off-leash areas. New York City’s dog people have recently banded together to form NYCDOG (“nice dog”) in response to that city’s recent draconian crackdown against off-leash recreation. According to Dr. Terry Fonville, “it is hoped that this will give us strength and unified voice … as well as helping all the diverse users of the City’s parks find common ground … our outreach abilities will be employed to better educate dog owners regarding responsible use of the parks.” We certainly wish our doggie friends in the Big Apple a lot of luck. There are many similar umbrella groups across the country, such as Judy Green’s ArlingtonDogs in Virginia, SFDOG and DogPAC, SB, all of which understand the importance of unity.

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Dee Tilson, East Bay Regional Park District, Park Supervisor
“Dog fights are rare. In fact, there have been very few reported incidents involving fighting dogs in the last three years…Further, there has never been an incident resulting in litigation in the history of the special dog park off leash use since 1975 over a dog fight incident.…The interactions between dogs and people have been very positive.…”

John Etter, Parks Planning, Public Works Maintenance, Eugene, OR
“The trial period came to an end, and following public hearing, the decision was made to retain all five locations. Testimonials include the fact that people have moved into a neighborhood because of their existence, and that people derive enjoyment in sharing this activity with others; it is as if these locations are community centers for people as well as canines. There have been no complaints about people having failed to clean up after their dogs.…introducing a new activity to a park can bring out the kind of people you want in parks, which can help control some of the undesirable activity that may be taking place [in the park].” Mr. Etter signs off with “best wishes for your off-leash venture.”

Jan Drago, Legislator of the Decade
If only every dog park struggle could be blessed with having someone like Jan Drago, City of Seattle Councilmember, pulling for them. She has been a tireless supporter. She issued a position-defining press release on October 9, 1995: “As I listened to the concerns of these Seattle residents, I thought back to the time when I served as a member and chair of a Park Board … when I developed a personal philosophy that ALL residents of a community had a right to utilize park facilities, not just SOME residents.… Why NOT have some areas where dog owners could exercise and play with their pets, socialize with other dog owners?… I came to agree with what Seattle dog owners from all over this city were saying: this is not a DOG issue; it is a PEOPLE issue. It is about recognizing off-leash activity as a valid recreational activity. It is about Seattle residents who pay taxes to support our parks system, who willingly pay for those swimming pools, tennis courts and fields that they may never use and who ask in return only that they be allowed in some places in some parks and to be able to engage in their favorite recreational activity.” She then introduced legislation to implement Seattle’s off-leash area pilot program.